This 1989 film champions the true story of Paterson, New Jersey, high school principal Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman). Armed with a bullhorn and a baseball bat, this tough-love educator launches a one-man campaign to clean up the school, chaining the doors shut to keep the troublemakers out and the strivers in. At first, his gruff demeanor and strong-arm behavior alienate the teaching staff. But Clark learns to soften his tactics and gain the support of teachers and students. He eventually turns the school around, and his achievement becomes a national triumph.